llebowitz@herald.com
.......Humane Society Director Pam Burns thinks extreme animal cruelty, including cockfighting, should be punished with felony jail time...........
Would Extreme Animal Cruelty Extend To All Animal Use If Left Up To The AR?
A bill is making its way through the Legislature to make repeated animal cruelty a felony. Animal rights activists are furious because it exempts cockfighting. Cockfighting has been illegal in Hawaii for more than a century. Police here can charge participants with a misdemeanor.
Humane Society Director Pam Burns thinks extreme animal cruelty, including cockfighting, should be punished with felony jail time.
"Exempting animal fighing as a potential for a felony is just outrageous and our concern by doing that is it potentially gives them more protection, animal fighters, more protection than other people who are abusive to animals and that should not happen," Burns said.
Paul Romias raises 500 fighting roosters in Waianae. He and other breeders got lawmakers to exempt cockfighting from felony charges in the aggrevated animal cruelty bill.
"When they put us into a felony they are putting us into a very high category of criminals, which we don't feel we are. We feel this is part of culture," Romias said.
Cockfighting is illegal in every state except for Lousiana and New Mexico, and a felony in at least 22 states.
Romias and other Hawaii breeders say it should be legal.
"For us, it is not cruelty because we don't force them to fight. They are going to fight not matter what you do," he said.
"Animal cruelty is a very organized, very cruel sport and it is really for the purpose of gambling. It is a cruel way of gambling," Burns said.
The animal-cruelty bill that excludes cockfighting is in the Senate Judiciary Committee (news - web sites) now. Chairwoman Colleen Hanabusa says it is so devisive and controversial, she would like to see it die a quiet dealth by not scheduling a hearing for it, but she says she does not know how that will go with all of her committee members.
Source: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=413&ncid=413&e=2&u=/ibsys/20040318/lo_kitv/2056541
Source: http://www.thehawaiichannel.com/news/2930800/detail.html
Hog and dog fight legality up for debate
Thursday March 18, 2004
I have received several e-mails in the past week from people inquiring about the Feliciana Hog Dog Festival recently held near Buff Creek. George Murr of Houston, in addition to local New Orleanians, asked, "Isn't this type of activity illegal?"
Hog Dog Rodeos, an emerging sport across the South, pits dogs against hogs in an enclosed arena. The hogs' tusks are usually removed with bolt cutters so the dogs are not severely injured by the hogs. One or two dogs are released into the arena and encouraged to pin the hog which involves bloodshed, squeals and screams.
Those who love the sport consider it family entertainment. Even 20th Judicial District attorney Sam D'Aquilla, whose district has jurisdiction over the area, denies that the activity is cruel to animals. Such festivals attract families with children and feature food and drink concessions.
Most animal lovers find it hard to imagine the desire to intentionally harm an animal, or watch it suffer, simply for human entertainment. But, we're also one of two states where cockfighting is still legal.
Dog fighting is a felony in Louisiana, but the legality of hog-dog fights is up for debate. The LA/SPCA clearly believes the sport is illegal as it fits the definition of cruelty to animals in the state code. The state defines "cruel" as every act or failure to act whereby unjustifiable physical pain or suffering is caused or permitted.
It continues, "Any person who intentionally or with criminal negligence commits any of the following shall be guilty of simple cruelty to animals: Mistreats any living animal by any act or omission whereby unnecessary or unjustifiable physical pain, suffering, or death is caused to or permitted upon the animal." Aggravated cruelty, a harsher charge, is defined as "Any person who intentionally or with criminal negligence tortures, maims, or mutilates any living animal, whether belonging to himself or another."
The district attorney and East Feliciana police feel otherwise. For now, the hog-dog fights will continue unless Louisiana residents demand that they stop. However, there may be a temporary delay in the East Feliciana events while the organizers construct a designated treatment facility for pig waste as requested by the health department.
Thankfully, we have made many advances in animal welfare across the country. Louisiana still has a ways to go. In fairness to the Legislature, the lawmakers listen to their constituents. If it matters to you, speak up or forever hold your peace.
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Jefferson SPCA will host its eighth annual Pet Fest, Tails from the Crypt, Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at No. 1 Humane Way, Harahan. There will be food, music, games, contests, and prizes.
For more information, call 733-PETS or visit www.jspca.org.
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St. Bernard Parish is hosting its annual anti-rabies campaign at local high schools and veterinary offices March 27 from 2 to 5 p.m. Orleans Parish residents are welcome to take advantage of the reduced fee of $6. Participating hospitals include Buccaneer Villa, St. Bernard Veterinary Hospital, Chalmette Animal Hospital and Meraux Animal Care Clinic.
For more information, call the St. Bernard Animal Shelter at 278-1535 or visit http://sbpanimal.homestead.com.
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If you have questions about your pet or if you want to discuss an issue of interest, we want to hear from you. Send your questions via e-mail to lauratp@la-spca.org or by fax at (504) 947-6690, attention Tail Talk; or by mail to 1319 Japonica St., New Orleans, LA 70117.
Source: http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1079594979132850.xml
Miami-Dade police, aided by IRS and State Department agents, began rounding up the 74-year-old so-called ''Godfather'' of the bolita rackets and 25 others Thursday morning in the latest chapter of ``Operation Corporate Raider.''
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Source: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/2004/03/18/news/8218103.htm
For the first time since elephants began entertaining people at American circuses more than 200 years ago, the federal government has removed a herd of circus animals from an owner accused of mistreating and mishandling his animals.
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Source: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4550423/
By JENNIE DALEY
Journal
Staff
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RICHFORD -- Appearing in the Town of Richford court Monday night, Russell and Connie Lockwood pleaded guilty to one count related to animal cruelty. Originally charged with seven counts of overdriving, torturing, and injuring animals and failure to provide adequate sustenance under New York state agriculture and market laws, six charges were dropped in exchange for a guilty plea. |
With a picture of his dearly departed pet pig in his suitcoat pocket, Miami-Dade County School Board member Frank Cobo on Wednesday promised to try to buy a 200-pound pig being sold this weekend by a Southwest Miami-Dade high-school club.
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Source: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/education/8213942.htm
BERLIN -- An animal rights group said on yesterday it would go ahead with a controversial advertising campaign that likens the slaughter of animals to the murder of Jews under the Nazis, despite threats of a legal challenge.
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